Motor-vehicle.



A. MAGAULLY.`

MOTOR VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 31, 1911.

1,122,014, Patented D60. 22, 1914.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEErcE.

A LVAN MACAULEY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO PACKARD MOTOR CAR' COMPANY, OF DETROIT', MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

MOTOR-VEHICLE.

` 'and particularly to the' combination of the steerlng post of such a vehicle with a signaling device including a contact maker or switch.

One of the objects of the invention is to mount the .contact device or switch of a signal horn on the steering post of an automobile so that the contact device may be conveniently reached for operation by the driver without regard to the particular p0- sition of the steering wheel.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in and its various other objects and`l advantages will be apparent from thefollowing description, taken with the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the forward portion of a motor vehicle showing the invention embodied in the steering column thereof; Fig. 2 is a part sectional view through the support on the upper end of the steering post; and Fig. 3 is a plan lview of the upper end of the steering ost and steering wheel with the housing or the contact device removed.

An electrically driven horn or other si nal forms part of the equipment of many o the automobiles on the market today. These hornsl are, as a rule, suitably connected` by wiring with the ignition battery or with dry cells and they are operated by a ypush button contact device arranged onsome art of the vehicle within reach of the driver. The present invention involves sucha slgna-ling device and is particularly designed to arrange the push button contact device in the most convenient osition for the driver.

Referring to t e drawings, the body of the vehicle is represented at 10 and the drivers -seat at 11 immediatelyl in the rear of the inclined steering post 12. The signal horn is shown at 13 and is connected by suitable wires 14 with the batteries carried' in the box 15. Other wires 16 leadfro'm the battery and horn respectively to the contact box mounted on thel steerin post 12. The

post 12 has the steering w eel 17'suitab1y Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec/.22, 1914.

applicati@ ma July a1, 1911. serial No. 641.110.

secured' to itsupper end and a! tubular sup-A I port 18 1s also mounted on the post 12 substantially concentric therewith. yA motor control rod 19 is shown extending up through thesteering post and,into the tubue0 lar support 18 and its upper end is formed with a circular rack 2() with which a small pinion 21 engages. This pinion is mounted in journals 22 in the support 18 and is rotated by the motor control lever 23 having a. '65

bearing 24 on one of" the spokes of the steerlng wheel. It Will be seen that the oscillation of the control lever 23 -will causeV a re` ciprocating moy ment of the motor control rod -19 which 'la nected wit th/e niotor for control purposes. It is desi able that the-motor control rod 1 9 should be limited in its upward movement and in this invention a stop is provided ter may be suitably con-7e in the form of a disk25 secured to atlangev'l 26 of the support 18, which disk thus closes the upper end of the support. Another motor control lever 27 is shown in the drawing as entering a slot 28 in the support 18, and

this lever may be connected in any suitable/f' 80 manner with another motor control rod (not shown) in the steering ost. It may be remarked that in thepartlcular motor vehicle in which the invention is shown as being embodied the lever 27 controls the motor throttle and the lever 23 controls the, timing 'of the spark. The disk 25 'is preferably made of insulating material upon which are terminals 23 and 30 to which thewires 16 are respectively connected. A stationary contact 31 Vand a spring contact 32 are respectively connected w1th the terminals 29 and 30, the spring 32 being so arranged that kit is normally out of contact with the stationary contact 31 but may be caused to contact therewith by slight pressure. The upper end of the tubular support 18 is closed by a housing 33 in the form of a dome which may be screwed to the support as by threads 34. This dome supports a button 35 which projects outwardly through the center thereof and is so related to the spring 32 that pressure on the button moves'the spring into contact with the stationary contactl thus closing the circuit for sounding the signal horn. With the above construction the contact device is mounted within convenient reach of the operator and its p'osition is not a1- as is the case when the contact device is mounted on one of the spokes of the steering wheel as has been done heretofore.

The construction is simple; the wiring is accessible and the parts easily assembled; the electrical connections are protected; the motor control rod is provided with a stop; andthe upper end of the steering post is suitably housed in for the protection of the parts Within it.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i

l. The combination with an automobile steering post, of a support on the end thereof, a contact device removably mounted on said support, a removable housing over said contact device, and an operating button for said contact device extending through said housing.

2. The combination with an automobile steering post and the steering wheel thereon, of a tubular support mounted on the end of the post, a motor control device connected to said support and comprising gears inside said support, and a contact device mounted on said support beyondsaid control device and removable to expose said gears.

3. The combination with an automobile steering post and the steering wheel mounted thereon, of a tubular support onthe end of the steering post, a motor control :rod eX- tending through the steering post and into said tubular support, a control lever journaled in said support and in a bracket on said steering wheel a-nd adapted to operate said motor control rod, an insulating disk closing the outer end of said tubular support and forming a stop for said control rod, a control switch on said disk, and a housing over said disk and switch.

et. The combination with an automobile steering post and the steering Wheel, of a housing at theupper end of the post in the 'center of the steering wheel, a motor control device extending into said housing and comprising connections inside said housing, and an electric contact device mounted on said housing beyond said control device and removable to expose said connections.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ALVAN MACAULEY. Witnesses:

W. H. FINCKEL, Jr., R. E. MAnsToN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents-each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratents, Washington, D. C. 

